Frustrated? Yeah, you could definitely say that about Matt Calvert's mindset, especially now, with his team mired in a slump.
As you may recall, the high-energy speedster finished last season watching from the press box after a hand injury sidelined him for the final several games of the season. Then just three games into this new season, Calvert again found himself on the outside looking in after undergoing surgery to repair a nagging abdominal injury.
"I think sometimes you get frustrated when you can't help out your teammates," he admitted. "When they're going through tough times, you want to be there going through it with them. But at the same time, you have to sit back. You know your body best, and you have to read it and just come back when you're ready."
The good news is that Calvert is making steady progress, and his return could be just a couple of weeks away, possibly by the end of this month if things keep progressing.
"Yeah, I think it's been a process where you start to work out a lot more, and I'm starting to skate every day now and push it that much more every day," he explained. "So, right now, I'm kind of at the day-to-day stage, and I'm sure pretty soon we'll figure out when my practice target date is. Obviously, I want to be back on the ice, but we're going to take it day by day for now."
For the Manitoba native, whose speed and tenacity make the Blue Jackets a more gritty, high-octane team to face, the key is to keep pushing the rehab forward in a way that will allow him to accelerate the healing without suffering a setback. He thinks he's at a pace that will get him back in uniform as soon as possible.
"I definitely think so. Every day I keep putting a little more trust it," said Calvert. "I think when you've had surgery that's a big part of it, gaining back the trust that you can do the things you need to do without reinjuring yourself.
"I've been moving forward every day, and I feel more confident with it." So, I'm getting excited, but I don't want to push it too hard. I think that's the big thing with me; I have to take it a little slower, and when I'm ready, I'm ready."
The abdominal pain had been nagging Calvert during training camp and into the start of the season, and, obviously, the hope was he could heal without surgery. Had he suffered the injury much deeper into the season, he may well have tried to rehab it the best he could and just play through the pain. But with nearly 80 games left in the season, and the injury not improving, he decided to undergo surgery and come back for the bulk of the year at full strength.
"Yeah, a combination of things started leading us to believe it could be more than just a strain," he noted. "It's unfortunate that's how it worked out, but it's a long season. I think if this was the end of the season we would have thought twice about the surgery, but with 80 games ahead of you, you don't want to be hurting all year. I think it was a smart move, and hopefully I'm going to come back better than ever."
A "better-than-ever" Matt Calvert would be a significant boost to a Blue Jackets team that's been listing of late. Calvert plays the game at a different pace than most, and his scoring touch is underrated. Without a doubt, Columbus could use help in both those areas. And fast.
